Genesis 9:18-29

The Sons of Noah

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.
19 The people who were scattered over the earth came from Noah's three sons.
20 Noah was a man who worked the ground. He decided to plant a vineyard.
21 He drank some of its wine. It made him drunk. Then he lay down inside his tent without any clothes on.
22 Ham saw his father's naked body. Ham was the father of Canaan. Ham went outside and told his two brothers.
23 But Shem and Japheth took a piece of clothing. They laid it across their shoulders. Then they walked backward into the tent. They covered their father's body. They turned their faces away. They didn't want to see their father's naked body.
24 Then Noah woke up from his sleep that was caused by the wine. He found out what his youngest son had done to him.
25 He said, "May a curse be put on Canaan. He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers."
26 Noah also said, "May the Lord, the God of Shem, be blessed. May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
27 May God add land to Japheth's territory. May Japheth live in the tents of Shem. And may Canaan be their slave."
28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years.
29 Noah lived a total of 950 years. Then he died.

Genesis 9:18-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 9

In this chapter we have an account of God's blessing Noah and his sons, being just come out of the ark, with a renewal of the blessing of propagating their species, and replenishing the earth, the dominion over the creatures, and a freedom from the fear of them; with liberty to eat flesh, only it must not be eaten with blood; with a providential care and preservation of their lives from men and beasts, by making a law that that man or beast should die that shed man's blood, Ge 9:1-6 and after repeating the blessing of procreation, Ge 9:7 mention is made of a covenant God made with Noah, his sons, and all the creatures, that he would drown the world no more, the token of which should be the rainbow in the cloud, Ge 9:8-17 the names of the sons of Noah are observed, by whom the earth was repeopled, Ge 9:18,19 and seem to be observed for the sake of an event after recorded; Noah having planted a vineyard, and drank too freely of the wine of it, lay down uncovered in his tent, which Ham seeing, told his two brothers of it, who in a very modest manner covered him, Ge 9:20-23 of all which Noah being sensible when he awoke, cursed Canaan the son of Ham, and blessed Shem and Japheth, Ge 9:24-27 and the chapter is concluded with the age and death of Noah, Ge 9:28,29.

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